Australian Open 2020

Roger__Federer

Roger__Federer wrote: »

I wouldn't count Raonic out yet, he's capable of turning this around.

Djokovic has broken again in the second set and his own serve has not been threatened so it's looking unlikely.

afaik Raonic hadn't lost a service game in Melbourne this year before this match.

but now he meets an elite level opponent and it's just different....

EagererBeaver

Chivito550 wrote: »

You contribute so much to this forum.

Yes, you told him the same yesterday. Stop fecking giving him the time of day.

Royale with Cheese

Will be surprised if Federer even manages to take a set off Djokovic.

Hector Savage

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

Will be surprised if Federer even manages to take a set off Djokovic.

Raonic is not beaten yet ...

Hector Savage

Gwynplaine wrote: »

Hector is right. 'Multiple slams in consecutive years'.

Well spotted Hector.

jr86 wrote: »

He won one slam in 2009

Well spotted Hector, that's actually a very interesting stat.

Chivito550 wrote: »

You contribute so much to this forum.

Yes, I believe so ...

Insane

BBC

Raonic 4-6 3-6 3-2 Djokovic*

The unforced error count is an incredible contrast. Twenty-six from Raonic and only two from Djokovic. That's one mistake per hour from the world number two. Incredible consistency.

despite a third-set drop-off (and possible "tactics" on contact lens issue) it was bread-and-butter stuff for Djokovic

Raonic came in with a zero for nine record against him and that didn't ever look like changing.

imperious stuff in the first 2 sets even though he took a while to take the first break.

comment on the lens thing

On the contact lenses problem, which saw him leave the court in the third set, Djokovic says: "I want to apologise to Milos and it was not something you see often - a player going out when it's not a changeover moment.

"It was not intentional or tactical, it was just something I had to do as in those games I could not see too much and I had to change my lenses."

Hector Savage

I often wonder why Djokovic doesn't get the laser surgery on his eyes, but then again apparently it can affect night vision, I myself was gonna get the op a few years back but I was put off by the drop in night vision - doctor did tell me it could affect sports situations played in floodlights

Girly Gal

It's a long shot, but, would love to see Thiem or Zverev step up and and win it. The game needs more serious contenders at the business end of the slams. With the odd exception the big 3 have dominated the slams in the last few years despite being past their best.

Having said that we'll probably end up with Djokovic v Nadal, no doubt it'll be another epic as it usually is between these 2.
Hard to see past Djokovic, can see him beating Federer in straight sets with Nadal pushing him to 4 possibly 5 sets.

Sheridan81

Hector Savage wrote: »

I often wonder why Djokovic doesn't get the laser surgery on his eyes

Cause it's an unreliable process which has resulted in suicides.

I'm tipping Zverev to finally step up and win this tournie. It's about time.

Hector Savage

Sheridan81 wrote: »

Cause it's an unreliable process which has resulted in suicides.

I'm tipping Zverev to finally step up and win this tournie. It's about time.

Throw a tenner on it, most bookies are giving around 20-1 odds...

elmolesto

Sheridan81 wrote: »

Cause it's an unreliable process which has resulted in suicides.

I'm tipping Zverev to finally step up and win this tournie. It's about time.

His chances are very slim, I’m surprised the way Sascha turned around the disaster of the atp cup so quickly, he is not double faulting and seems very focused. But first he will have to beat Wawrinka which I think will be a very interesting match, I’m leaning towards Stan.
Wawrinka’s level as convinced me, his defence is much better than last year, he is better offensively and at the net. He also can neutralise big servers with his deep block return.

While Zverev is a great counterpuncher and very good at redirecting pace, he lacks power. He doesn’t have racket head acceleration like Thiem, Nadal or Tsitsipas.
I also think Zverev doesn’t get as much as he should from his first serve.

whiterebel

I wonder how Zverev will cope when Stan starts going after his second serve. He's done well so far, but this is a big test.

elmolesto

whiterebel wrote: »

I wonder how Zverev will cope when Stan starts going after his second serve. He's done well so far, but this is a big test.

He had a couple of matches where we won less than 40% behind his second serve and he doesn’t do well against the elite.

mzungu

I expect Stan to come through this one in four.

lostcat

Girly Gal wrote: »

It's a long shot, but, would love to see Thiem or Zverev step up and and win it. The game needs more serious contenders at the business end of the slams.

I don't think its far away.

This year feels to me (and it may just be next gen hype finally getting to me) like draws are starting to look trickier for the big 3

here, so far Nadal sweated a bit against Kyrgios and has two tough looking matches coming up to make a final, and Federer is giving everyone conniptions.

i don't think it will be long before the majority of matches are no longer a gimme for the 3 lads, especially if Kyrgios and Zverev pick it up to the level of the other younger guys with some degree of consistency. The talent pool is slowly getting deeper (or the 3 lads are just getting old, same difference )

Girly Gal

To be fair Federer is well past his best, Djokovic and Nadal still playing at a high level but are also past their best, it's time for the next gen guys to step up and take the big 3 out instead of waiting for father time to do it for them.

elmolesto

lostcat wrote: »

I don't think its far away.

This year feels to me (and it may just be next gen hype finally getting to me) like draws are starting to look trickier for the big 3

here, so far Nadal sweated a bit against Kyrgios and has two tough looking matches coming up to make a final, and Federer is giving everyone conniptions.

I don’t agree with you there.

The draws are less trickier than they used to be since they introduced the 32 seeds system in all grand slams in 2001. Before then you could potentially have a first round match between the world number 1 facing, the world number 17.
The “new system” means none of the 32 seeds at the Slams can possibly run into a higher-ranked rival until at least the third round.
It was done to avoid avoid a lot of early-round upsets at the four biggest events of the year.

Off course, once one has reached the quarterfinals, you should in theory face someone with a ranking between 1 and 8, so matches are going to be tough.

You also have to look at Nadal-Djokovic-Federer ability to maintain their rankings within the top 4 for the past 15 years.
Which means they never face each other at a slam before the semis.

elmolesto

Halep gets an early break against Kontaveit. She is so efficient on the return.

Joe_ Public

Cannot understand why halep isnt bookies favourite to win this out. Looking in imperious form, have to put her ahead of barty from what I've seen.

elmolesto

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Cannot understand why halep isnt bookies favourite to win this out. Looking in imperious form, have to put her ahead of barty from what I've seen.

She is really impressive but so is Muguruza. I think Barty will choke.

RobertKK

Halep is just getting better in this tournament, I hope she wins it outright, make up for 2018.

Joe_ Public

elmolesto wrote: »

She is really impressive but so is Muguruza. I think Barty will choke.

Mug has done great for a player who was bagled in first set of opening round! Just dont see her beating halep but could be tough match. Feel sorry for kontaveit here, she's not actually playing badly, just encountered the wall.

elmolesto

The Cahill-Halep reunion is working well. I agree I too feel sorry for Kontaveit, but Halep always put one more ball back in the court.

NoviGlitzko

Would love to see Gabby win after her recent struggles and to me she has the most attractive game. The women's side is up in the air.

Joe_ Public

Have seen much more of halep than mug so probably biased in favour of the former. Beating svitolina and bertens handily shows she's obviously hitting well, but halep would be up another level again. Halep looks like she has put an extra 5-10% on her serve which is always a help. Kenin looks in the halep mould too, definitely no back number here.

Zverev finally gets a GS semi.

Stan was not the man.

Now what can Thiem do against scraggly hair Nadal?

EagererBeaver

Thiem doing a Nadal and standing an absolute mile behind the baseline on the Nadal serve. Easiest hold to love Nadal has had all tournament to go up 4-3 there. I know Nadal's serve was great at times against Kyrgios but it's hardly Karlovic-esque.

elmolesto

It’s a brutal match.

NoviGlitzko

elmolesto wrote: »

It’s a brutal match.

Most Nadal matches are, aren't they. Whatever about his game he's a wall first and foremost and Theim seems to be just as quick.